Sample containment unit and process

ABSTRACT

A sample containment unit and sample containment process are disclosed. The sample containment unit includes a sample containment region, a body extending around the sample containment region, and an access portion configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region. The body includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are a continuous piece of polymeric material. The sample containment process includes positioning a sample in a sample containment unit and transporting the sample containment unit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to sample containment units and processes. More specifically, the present invention is directed to containment of biological and/or hazardous materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transport and containment of samples, such as biological and/or hazardous samples, is important for the medical community, research community, and several other industries. Containment units for such samples have not provided adequate resistance to heat transfer and/or other environmental factors, such as moisture.

Known units permit samples to be harmed based upon heat or loss of heat to ambient environments. For example, single-walled steel containers with foam insulation have provided inadequate resistance to temperature changes. Additionally or alternatively, known units contact samples with cooling and/or heating packs risking exposure to abrupt temperature changes that can result in damage to samples. Other known units permit moisture to enter containment regions risking condensation or contamination of samples and/or are impacted based upon temperature changes in an ambient environment and/or based upon heat transfer between the containment unit and surfaces abutting the containment unit.

Known containment units have also failed to include adequate tamper-proof features. Such units have not provided adequate features for preventing access to samples within containment units and/or for preventing unauthorized movement of the containment units, while still permitting authorized access and transport in a secure manner.

Other features that have not been present in known containment units include, but are not limited to, being ergonomically designed, features for handling the units that do not interfere with the operation of the containment unit, providing selective access, or combinations thereof.

A containment unit and a process of transporting a containment unit that do not suffer from one or more of the above drawbacks would be desirable in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment, a sample containment unit includes a sample containment region, a body extending around the sample containment region, and an access portion configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region. The body includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are a continuous piece of polymeric material.

In another exemplary embodiment, a sample containment unit includes a sample containment region, a body extending around the sample containment region, and an access portion hingedly attached to the body and configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region. The body includes an inner wall, an outer wall, a lip, and an injected polyurethane foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall. The inner wall, the outer wall, and the lip are a continuous piece of rotational-molded high-density polyethylene material.

In another exemplary embodiment, a sample containment process includes positioning a sample in a sample containment unit and transporting the sample containment unit. The sample containment unit includes a sample containment region, a body extending around the sample containment region, and an access portion configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region. The sample containment region has heat transfer properties based upon having a proportionality constant (k) under Newton's law of cooling equation that is less than 0.006. The body includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are a continuous piece of polymeric material.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit in a closed configuration according to the disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a first side view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a second side view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a top front view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit according to the disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an exemplary sample containment unit in an open configuration according to the disclosure.

FIG. 9 shows a section view along line 9-9 of the exemplary sample containment unit shown in FIG. 8.

Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to represent the same parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Provided is an exemplary sample containment unit and an exemplary sample containment process according to the disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure permit the containment unit to be transported through various environmental changes without harming samples within the unit, permit a predetermined temperature range to be maintained without causing substantial and/or abrupt temperature changes to samples within the unit, permit locking of the samples within the unit without sacrificing heat transfer properties, permit locking of the unit without preventing authorized movement of the unit, facilitate transport of the unit, permit placement of samples in the unit without difficulty (for example, samples can be directly positioned within the unit), prevents undesirable materials from entering the unit (for example, debris, moisture, dirt, or contaminants), prevents heat transfer with the ambient environment and/or with abutting surfaces, or combinations thereof.

FIGS. 1 and 8 show an embodiment of a sample containment unit 100 capable of being closed (see FIG. 1) and open (see FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 8, the unit 100 includes a sample containment region 108, a body 101 extending around the sample containment region 108, and an access portion 110, such as a lid, configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region 108. The body 101 includes an inner wall 104, an outer wall 102, and a foam 120 (see FIG. 9) positioned between the inner wall 104 and the outer wall 102. The foam 120 is any suitable material capable of reducing or eliminating heat transfer between the sample containment region 108 and an ambient environment (such as, in comparison to single-walled steel units having foam, for example, having a proportionality constant (k) under Newton's law of cooling equation that is greater than 0.007). In one embodiment, the foam 120 is an injected polyurethane foam, for example, injected through any portion of the body 101 and sealed, cured, hardened, and/or solidified thereafter.

The inner wall 104 and the outer wall 102 are portions of a continuous piece of polymeric material, such as rotational-molded polymeric material produced by heating a hollow mold and filling it with a specified amount of polymer resin, then slowly rotating around two perpendicular or substantially perpendicular axes, causing a softened material to disperse and adhere to walls of the mod, while creating a hollow polymeric part with uniform or substantially uniform wall thickness. In another embodiment, injection blow molding is used. As used herein, the term “continuous” refers to having a single seamless material. The rotational-molded polymeric material is any suitable material capable of reducing or eliminating heat transfer between the sample containment region 108 and the ambient environment and/or abutting surfaces (not shown) of other objects (not shown), for example, in comparison to the single-walled steel units having foam. In one embodiment, the continuous piece of rotational-molded polymeric material includes high-density polyethylene. In a further embodiment, the continuous piece of rotational-molded polymeric material includes a UV-resistant additive.

The outer wall 102 of the body 101 forms the exterior of the unit 100. As shown in FIGS. 2-5, in one embodiment, the body 101 includes a cuboid geometry and/or extends around the perimeter of the unit 100. Additionally or alternatively, the body 101 includes a lock 114 (see FIG. 2) for securing the sample containment region 108, one or more feet 118 providing a decreased amount of heat transfer between the unit 100 and an abutting surface (not shown) of other objects (not shown) in comparison to having a planer bottom, a handle 116 for carrying the unit 100, any other suitable security features and/or features for environmentally-isolating a sample 124 (see FIG. 9), a tamper-resistant feature 128 (see FIG. 4) for preventing unauthorized movement of the unit 100 (such as, an anchoring bracket positioned within a bracket recess 130 as is shown in FIG. 4 on the outer wall 102, configured for chaining or otherwise securely linking the unit 100 to a wall or other fixed object), or a combination thereof.

Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the outer wall 102 includes or abuts the lock 114, for example, within a recessed region 105 of the outer wall 102 and/or below a portion of the access portion 110. The lock 114 prevents unauthorized access to the sample containment region 108, for example, by securing the body 101 to the access portion 110. The recessed region 105 prevents moisture from collecting on the lock 114 and/or from entering the sample containment region 108. In a further embodiment, the lock 114 and/or the recessed region 105 are shielded or covered, thereby providing additional security and/or resistance to environmental conditions. In one embodiment, the lock 114 includes a rotatable latch 119 (see FIG. 9) capable of engaging a cylindrical strike 117 (see FIG. 8) on the access portion 110, thereby permitting the access portion 110 to tightly seal.

In one embodiment with the feet 118, the outer wall 102 of the body 101 includes offsetting geometry such that a majority of a bottom portion of the unit 100 is not in direct contact with the surface (not shown) that it is set on. This allows air underneath and provides an additional layer of insulation between the resting surface and unit 100. The feet 118 are any suitable material (for example, rubber) or are a portion of the outer wall 102.

In one embodiment with the handle 116, the handle 116 is flush with the outer wall 102 of the body 101 and/or with a lip 106 of the body 101 extending between the inner wall 104 and the outer wall 102. In this embodiment, the handle 116 is capable of being in a down-position permitting stackable storage but is also capable of being in an up-position permitting it to be swung up so that the weight of the unit 100 is easily and safely displaced when in transport, allowing the user's other hand to be free, for example, to open and close doors. In further embodiments, the handle 116 includes features for weather-resistance, such as being resistant to rust (for example, by being devoid of metal and/or welds), a fully-integrated molded hinge 132 that uses an aluminum pin, including a zinc coating and/or paint coating to protect from rusting, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the handle 116 limits movement of the access portion 110, for example, preventing the access portion 110 from rotating completely back and/or permitting only up to a predetermined amount of degrees of rotation, for example, up to about 100 degrees, up to about 90 degrees, between about 10 degrees and about 130 degrees, between about 90 and 130 degrees, between about 90 and about 110 degrees, or any suitable combination, sub-combination, range, or sub-range therein.

Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the inner wall 104 and the outer wall 102 are connected by the lip 106 configured to contact and/or interlock with the access portion 110 upon the enclosing of the sample containment region 108, the lip 106 being a portion of the continuous piece of rotational-molded polymeric material.

The access portion 110 includes any suitable features permitting selective access to the sample containment region 108, while preventing heat transfer and/or moisture transfer between the sample containment region 108 and the ambient environment. In one embodiment, when the access portion 110 is closed, the body 101 and the access portion 110 completely isolate the sample containment region 108 from receiving or releasing moisture. The access portion 110 is any suitable geometry. Suitable geometries include, but are not limited to, being substantially planar, having a slight slope away from the recess region 105 and/or the handle 116 (thereby preventing water from flowing into predetermined regions), being cuboid or rectangular, and being consistent or inconsistent in thickness (for example, being inconsistent such that portions configured to abut the lip 106 are thicker and/or compressible in comparison to other portions of the access portion 110). The access portion 110 is attached to the body 101, for example, by being hingedly attached, by being secured with fasteners, by being interference fit with the body 101, or a combination thereof.

The inner wall 104 defines the sample containment region 108. In general, the sample containment region 108 is capable of having any geometry suitable for secure positioning of the sample 124 and/or the sample container 112, for example, a cuboid geometry. As is shown in FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the sample containment region 108 includes a first surface 109, a second surface 111 extending from the first surface 109, a third surface 113 extending from the second surface 111, and a fourth surface 115 extending from the third surface 113 and to the first surface 109, for example, generally forming a rectangular and/or square embodiment of the sample containment region 108. The sample containment region 108 also includes other features for heat transfer resistance and/or moisture resistance, such as, having heat transfer properties of based upon having a proportionality constant (k) under Newton's law of cooling equation that is less than 0.006.

Referring to FIG. 9, in one embodiment, sample containment region 108 is top-loaded. For example, in this embodiment, the inner wall 104 of the body 101 includes a top-loaded surface 103 for receiving a sample container 112, the top-loaded surface 103 being a portion of the body 101, abutting other portions of the body 101, and not abutting the access portion 110. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the body 101 comprises a front-loaded surface (not shown) for receiving the sample container 112, the front-loaded surface being a portion of the body 101, abutting the access portion 110 when in a closed position, and abutting portions of the body 101. In one embodiment, the inner wall 104 of the body 101 includes a protruding feature 122 arranged and disposed to support the sample container 112 and prevent a majority of the sample container 112 from contacting the inner wall 104 of the body 101. The protruding features 122 are capable of being positioned on the top-loaded surface 103 or the front-loaded surface (not shown).

In one embodiment, the sample containment region 108 includes a sub-region 132 positioned below the top-loaded surface 103 and/or the protruding features 122, such that a heat transfer device 126 (for example, a cooling pack or a heating pack) is capable of being positioned within the sub-region 132 without contacting the sample 124 and/or the sample container 112.

In further embodiments, the unit 100 includes one or more regions (not shown) capable of receiving a label (for example, having a lower amount of silicon in any coating or surface to allow for adhesion of a label and/or being recessed for protection of such a label). Additionally or alternatively, the unit 100 includes one or more threaded recesses 134 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) for mounting the unit 100 to a wall (not shown) or other surface (not shown).

The container 112 is any suitable container for securely handling biological and/or harmful samples, for example, of a material capable of being autoclaved, of a material intended for reuse, of a material intended for disposal after one use, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the container 112 is a removable and/or stackable tray. In further embodiments, a plurality of the containers 112 are capable of being positioned within the sample containment region 108. In embodiments with a plurality of the containers 112, the sample containment region 108 includes additional features permitting stacking of the containers 112 and/or the containers 112 include features permitting stacking of the containers 112.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A sample containment unit, comprising: a sample containment region; a body extending around the sample containment region; and an access portion configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region; wherein the body comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, and a foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall; wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are a continuous piece of rotational-molded polymeric material.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The sample containment unit of claim 2, wherein the continuous piece of polymeric material includes a UV-resistant additive.
 4. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are connected by a lip configured to contact the access portion upon the enclosing of the sample containment region, the lip being a portion of the continuous piece of polymeric material.
 5. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a surface for receiving a sample container, the surface abutting portions of the body and not abutting the access portion.
 6. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a surface for receiving a sample, the surface abutting the access portion and portions of the body.
 7. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the access portion is hingedly attached to the body.
 8. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the body includes a cuboid geometry and the sample containment region includes a cuboid geometry.
 9. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the foam is an injected polyurethane foam.
 10. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the body and the access portion completely isolate the sample containment region from receiving or releasing moisture.
 11. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the continuous piece of polymeric material includes high-density polyethylene.
 12. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the sample containment region has heat transfer properties based upon having a proportionality constant (k) under Newton's law of cooling equation that is less than 0.006.
 13. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the access portion is substantially planar.
 14. The sample containment unit of claim 1, further comprising a lock for securing the sample containment region.
 15. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the sample containment region comprises a first surface, a second surface extending from the first surface, a third surface extending from the second surface, and a fourth surface extending from the third surface and to the first surface.
 16. The sample containment unit of claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the body comprises a protruding feature arranged and disposed to support a sample container and preventing a majority of the sample container from contacting the inner wall of the body.
 17. The sample containment unit of claim 16, further comprising the sample container.
 18. The sample containment unit of claim 17, further comprising a heat-transfer device positioned between the sample container and the inner wall of the body.
 19. A sample containment unit, comprising: a sample containment region; a body extending around the sample containment region, the body comprising an inner wall, an outer wall, a lip, and an injected polyurethane foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall; and an access portion hingedly attached to the body and configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region; wherein the inner wall, the outer wall, and the lip are a continuous piece of rotational-molded high-density polyethylene material.
 20. A sample containment process, comprising: positioning a sample in a sample containment unit, the sample containment unit comprising a sample containment region, a body extending around the sample containment region, and an access portion configured to selectively enclose the sample containment region; and transporting the sample containment unit; wherein the sample containment region has heat transfer properties based upon having a proportionality constant (k) under Newton's law of cooling equation that is less than 0.006; wherein the body comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, and a foam positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall; wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are a continuous piece of rotational-molded polymeric material.
 21. The sample containment unit of claim 1, further comprising a heat-transfer pack positioned between the sample container and the inner wall of the body. 